Serum insulin-like growth factor I profiles in beef heifers with single and twin pregnancies

Serum samples and BW were obtained from 2-yr-old beef heifers, pregnancy with either single (SF, n = 12) or twin (TF, n = 7) fetuses, at 7-d intervals from d 190 of gestation until calving. Serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations of SF heifers gradually declined from d 190 (69.9 +/- 1.0 ng/ml) to d 263 (55.6 +/- .8 ng/ml), then exhibited a slight increase by d 277 (63.4 +/- 1.1 ng/ml). Serum IGF-I concentrations of TF heifers essentially paralleled, yet were lower (P less than .05) than, concentrations in SF heifers for all days tested except d 197 and 205. The SF heifers pregnant with heifer fetuses (n = 6) had higher IGF-I concentrations (P less than .1) than heifers pregnant with bull fetuses (n = 6) for all days tested except d 214 and 235. Instantaneous absolute growth rate (IGR) of SF heifers declined from 1.485 kg/d at d 190 to .257 kg/d by d 277. Rate of decline in IGR of TF heifers was much greater (P less than .0001). Correlations between serum IGF-I concentrations and IGR for SF and TF heifers were .79 (P less than .001) and .59 (P less than .05), respectively. These data suggest that number and sex of fetus influence maternal concentrations of IGF-I and that the combined growth rate of the dam and conceptus during gestation is related to serum IGF-I concentration.